Tama County STEM Festival is April 7

March 22, 2013

The Tama County Family STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Festival is a free event that is geared to all of Iowa's Kindergarten through 6th grade students and their families. It will be held on Sunday, April 7, 2013, from 1-4 p.m. at the North Tama Schools. This festival will consist of 35-40 exhibitors providing quick, fun, hands-on STEM activities and displays for elementary aged children and their families. Some of the activities may even fascinate learners from age 3 all the way to age 99!

Professors from the University of Northern Iowa, the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and Hawkeye Community College, as well as a musician from Minnesota and a scientist from the Mayo Clinic are some of the STEM professionals who are donating their time and resources to share their expertise in their STEM fields with the exciting activities they will offer at the event. The festival will also include Mike Havlik, Head Naturalist from the Des Moines Y Camp and his presentation "Big Owls Hoot, Little Owls Toot" at 1:15 and again at 2:30.

This wonderful event has been put together through a collaborative effort of all the schools of Tama County: Belle Plaine, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Green Mountain-Garwin, Meskwaki, North Tama, South Tama, and Union, as well as with a lot of work from the Northeast Iowa STEM Hub, and cooperation from the Tama County Economic Development Commission and iExplore STEM. Everyone feels very strongly about the importance of the event.

Josh Youel stated, "As the North Tama Elementary Principal I am very excited we will be hosting the very first ever Tama County Family STEM Festival on April 7th. This is a great opportunity for students and parents to explore and learn about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math activities and careers first hand. All the Tama County school districts and several surrounding schools are working together to make the Festival a big success.

This free event is geared for all Iowa students in grades K-6 and their families, but may also appeal to people younger and older than those ages.